Gibson and Humphrey Help Men's Basketball Secure First Win of the Season in 87-83 Defeat of Lees-McRae

MISENHEIMER, N.C. – Josh Humphrey (Matthews, NC) and Tayron Gibson (Dumfries, VA) would each score a game-high 23 points as Pfeiffer University knocked off Lees-McRae College 87-83 in Conference Carolinas men’s basketball action on Tuesday night. Both teams were whistled for 65 fouls combined, 47 of which came in a 65 minute first half. The win marks the first of the year for the Falcons as they improve to 1-4 overall, 1-1 in league play, while sending the Bobcats to 0-5, 0-2.

Pfeiffer rolled out to a 10-2 lead just 90 seconds in as Gibson scored the first seven of the night followed by Humphrey’s first triple of the evening. Daniel Sepokas (Illawong, AUSTRALIA) and DJ Brown (Anderson, SC) would cut the lead down to one until a Sepokas layup with 13:18 to play in the half tied the contest at 16-16. From the tie score, the Falcons bolted out on a 16-2 run thanks to six more from Humphrey and six from Carrington Kirkpatrick (Charlotte, NC) to lead 32-17 with 9:39 remaining in the half.

After Pfeiffer took a 22-point, 41-19 lead on a Gibson free throw, the Bobcats would rally back in a four-minute span to slice the deficit down to nine with 3:06 to play. A James Saint Marc (Tampa, FL) dunk started the 14-1 run using a pair of big threes from Brown. Humphrey would then proceed to score eight-in-a-row getting the Falcons back up 18 until Lees-McRae closed out the half on four-straight points from Jeremiah Henry (Semmes, AL) trailing 54-40 at the break.

Lees-McRae would make things interesting over the final 15:10 of the second half as a Saint Marc layup got the visitors to within three at 60-57. After dodging game-tying attempts by the Bobcats minutes later, the Falcons would have temporary breathing room as AJ Clark (Burlington, NC) helped put the hosts back up 13 with 6:37 to play.

With 39 seconds left and Pfeiffer up nine, 84-75, an old-fashioned three-point play by Charles Clarke (Orlando, FL) and five-straight points by Asad Lamot (Mebane, NC) cut the lead down to two, 85-83, with 12 seconds left in regulation. After a Clarke foul, Jerod Wallace (Charlotte, NC) would then step to the line and drain both free throw attempts to secure a four-point win for the Falcons.

In addition to the 23 points, Humphrey would tack on 11 rebounds for a double-double while Wallace finished the night scoring 14. Sepokas led the Bobcats with 19 on the night as one of five in double-figures. Pfeiffer shot 43% in the victory while holding a +7 rebounding margin over the Bobcats 47-40.

After a few days off the court for the Thanksgiving break, the Falcons will head south to Limestone for their first league road contest of the season. Tip off with the Saints will be at 7:30 p.m.